Dexter Ruggles

Dexter was born a week ago today, on his due date. November 30th at 6:52pm. He weighed 6 lbs 3 oz and was 21 inches long.

Last Sunday night we decorated the Xmas tree. I was trying to move around a lot to try to get labor started. It felt like it was never going to happen. I went to sleep around midnight. Around 3:30am I woke up with contractions. I wasn't sure if it was just BH contractions like I had been having for weeks. Justin was downstairs on the computer and my Mom was sleeping. I laid there and timed the contractions for about an hour before going to get Justin. Then we timed them together for about an hr then called the doctor. He said I was in early labor and that I should come in. My contractions were about 5 minutes apart, one minute long. My Mom woke up and we all headed to the hospital. We were nervous and it still didn't seem real.

When I got to the hospital I was still only 2-3 cm dilated. But then the contractions started coming faster and stronger.  They got me into a room, hooked me up and started monitoring my contractions.  By the time I got to 4-5 cm dilated the pain was really intense. I always said I would just decide about the epidural once I was in the pain. I always thought that I would be able to just breath through it, but when the time came they were just too much. I got the epidural and it was great... for a while. 

Around 3pm or so I was 9-10 cm dilated and it was time to push. The epidural did not help for this. Our nurse was a neighbor of ours, which was weird and uncomfortable. We had never met her, she just told us we live on the same street. She has seen more of me than I would like a neighbor to see.

I pushed for 3 hrs. The last 2 hours the nurses and Justin kept saying "We see him, just one more push"! No matter how hard, or which way they turned me, he would just not come out. The doc came in and said they either had to vacuum or do a c-section. But after looking at what was going on, she said that vacuum was not an option and that we had to go with a c-section. They thought maybe he was too big.

The feeling of absolute defeat came over me. I never thought I would be having a c-section. I felt like I just wasn't strong enough or that there was something wrong with me.

They wheeled me off to the surgery room and got to work. I remember them saying he was out and shortly after hearing him cry. Justin was beside me the whole time. Dexter's head was turned a weird way and his cord was wrapped around him a couple times and that's why I couldn't push him out.

I had an infection from having my water broken and then not having him til hrs later. So, Dexter and I got antibiotics. The pic of him with a paddle on his arm is the IV for the antibiotics. Besides that we were both doing well.

The first couple days in the hospital were complete bliss. We we're so happy! Dexter was feeding and sleeping and we just couldn't believe we created such a perfect little guy! Since I had the c-section I couldn't move around much. Justin is the best husband, he did everything! They look so much alike :)

Towards the end of the third day things started to get rough. Dexter did not want to feed anymore. He screamed and pulled away. He cried constantly unless he had the binky in his mouth. We had 8-9 different nurses throughout the 3 1/2 days there and they all had different opinions and it got to be really confusing. 

We went home on Thursday and things were still really hard. He would not stop crying! Long story short, Friday morning I called the prediatrcian to ask her what to do. We found out we were not feeding him nearly enough and he was screaming and not sleeping cuz he was so hungry :( We were feeding him the amount one of the nurses told us to feed him.

Now everything is great! 

I have to go feed him now. More posts and pics to come :) He's keeping me so busy!